Don Simpson: Patron Saint of Hollywood Excess

Article by Scott Michael on how Don Simpson died

In the book, “You’ll Never Make Love in This Town Again,” one of the whores named Tiffany talks of her experiences with Simpson as “An education in pain.”

She goes on to describe different scenarios, most involving S&M and bondage and the obligatory video tape. I always thought that those particular deeds more about psychology than getting off, but then obviously Simpson was well screwed up in the brain.

In his life, he and partner Jerry Bruckheimer were producers of such films as “Top Gun,” “Crimson Tide,” “Beverly Hills Cop,” and “Bad Boys.” Without a doubt, between them they were the very successful, and the world would continue to be at their feet, if they kept it up. They couldn’t. “Days of Thunder” being a great example.

His appetite for illegal drugs and illicit sex were legendary. He had a passion for plastic surgery as well, having at least 10 operations, including collagen in the lips, cheeks and chin. Forehead lift, eyebrow, liposuction on his belly, and fat injected in his penis. Lovely.

On January 19, 1996 he was found dead at 5pm on the toilet, in his Stone Canyon home. He was reading the Oliver Stone biography. He was only 52 years old.

With the announcement of his death, the coroner issued a statement, “there were no drugs around, no drug paraphernalia, nothing to show any drugs were involved.” Riiiiiight.

In his body were the following drugs: Toradol, Librium, Ativan, Valium, Depakote, Thorazine, Cogentin, Vistaril, and Lorazepam. There were also 19 others, including morphine. His monthly prescription bill was in excess of $60,000 a month. With his booze and coke habit at all, its apparent the Don was not a fussy eater.

Michael Eisner, his former boss at Paramount, and head of Disney was notified and responded with, “I’ve been waiting for this call for 20 years.”

The official cause of death was: Combined effects of multiple drug intake.

There was a memorial for him at Morton’s. Warren Beatty, Michelle Pfeiffer, Don Johnson, Nick Nolte, Richard Dreyfuss and Will Smith, and others. We loved him. He was fabulous.

Don was cremated at Westwood Memorial Park, and his ashes were given to his family. If they wanted to be appropriate, someone should have taken a credit card, and divided him evenly amongst family members, but secretly keeping the larger portion for them self.